Dimitri Flowers’ knee injury isn’t as significant as was feared

Earlier this week, Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops listed his team’s injuries and said that the Sooners might have endured more maladies this spring than any in his 16-season coaching tenure.

It almost got a lot worse for Stoops Saturday afternoon when two significant players went down with what potentially would have been huge losses.

Fortunately for Stoops and the Sooners, the injuries to former Churchill standout fullback Dimitri Flowers and defensive end Geneo Grissom weren’t as bad as originally feared.

Flowers sustained a hyperextended left knee when he was caught by a low tackle from OU cornerback Zack Sanchez, but the injury is not considered to be serious, Stoops said.

And Grissom, a key producer in the Sooners’ Sugar Bowl victory over Alabama, will miss six weeks after spraining his medial collateral ligament in his left knee, but should be back for the start of OU’s June workouts.

“We were lucky,” Stoops told reporters after the game.

Former Texas Tech transfer Baker Mayfield, who won’t play this season during his transfer season, completed all nine passes for 125 yards and two touchdowns as the most effective quarterback in the scrimmage.

Mayfield, the Big 12’s offensive newcomer of the year last season with the Red Raiders, picked up where he left off last season.

“It’s disappointing for him that rules don’t allow him to play,” Stoops said. “But in the end, he’s been a great teammate to these guys. The players all love him.”

The game was played before a crowd of 43,500 at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. It’s the largest spring-game crowd in Stoops’ 16-season coaching tenure.

Former Reagan standout Trevor Knight completed 5 of 14 passes for 53 yards and was intercepted and sacked twice. He was the only OU quarterback who failed to throw a touchdown pass in the scrimmage.

“At the end of the day, the disadvantage against the defense is so familiar with you,” Stoops said. “They know the formation and routes. It makes it harder, but we’re very pleased with what Trevor has done overall.”